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The officer was gunned down by republicans during a botched post office raid in Adare, Co Limerick, in June 1996.

Mr Adams apologised for the attack in the Irish parliament as he paid tribute to another officer shot dead during a robbery in his constituency last Friday.

He told the Dail the death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe had provoked memories of the killing of Garda McCabe and the wounding of his colleague, Garda Ben O Sullivan.

"I want to apologise to Mrs (Anne) McCabe and the McCabe family, and to Garda Ben O Sullivan and to the families of other members of the state forces who were killed by republicans in the course of the conflict," said Mr Adams.

"I am very sorry for the pain and loss inflicted on those families. No words of mine can remove that hurt. Dreadful events cannot be undone. But I want to restate that the resolve of Sinn Fein and of the majority of Irish people is to ensure that there is never, ever a recurrence of conflict."

Four Provisional IRA members were later convicted of killing the detective, but have since been freed from jail.

Ten years ago Mr Adams described the murder of Det Gda McCabe as reprehensible, but did not apologise. The garda's widow had publicly challenged him to condemn her husband's killing.

Meanwhile Mrs McCabe this week called for tough mandatory sentences for anyone convicted of murdering a member of the force as she signed a book of condolence for the late Gda Donohue at Limerick Garda Station, where her husband was based. The 41-year-old garda, who was shot dead at a rural credit union less than two miles from his home in Lordship, Co Louth, will be buried on Wednesday.

Mr Adams, who was elected as a TD in Louth two years ago, extended his deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of Det Gda Donohoe. He said the killing has shocked the entire community, especially in the very closely knit Cooley area and South Armagh.